Device for supporting and carrying invalids or patients



L. D. MOTE.

DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING AND CARRYING INVALIDS 0R PATIENTS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 29, 1919.

Patented July 27, 1920.

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L. n. MOTE. DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING AND CARRYING INVALIDS 0R PATIENTS.APPLICATION FILED OCT. 29. 1919. 1 347 549. Patented July 27, 1920.

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UNITED STATES LUCY DEPEBE NOTE, OF WESTMINSTER, LONDON, ENGLAND.

DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING AND CARRYING INVALIDS OB PATIENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2'7, 1920.

Application filed October 29, 1919. Serial No. $34,289. it

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUCY DEPERE Morn, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, residing at 2 West Eaton Place, Westminster,

in the county of London, England, have in- .f vented certaln new anduseful Improvements in Devices for Supporting and Carrying Invalids orPatients, of which the following is a specification.

- This invention relates to devices or structures for use with invalidbeds or for medical, surgical or maternity use", the chief object beingto provide a supporting table which enables a patient to be easily movedthereon from the bed without being lifted, the device being readilymovable away from the bed for enablingthe bed to be made and themattress straightened. The device may be used as an operating table or achair, and it can be adapted for various nursing treatments in medical,surgical or maternity work.

According to this invention the device.

ported. The patient is practically rolled from the bed on to the tableand owing to the table extending across the bed as aforesaid ver littlemovement by the patient and small e ort b the nurse'or other attenda'ntis required. hen the table is supported on the bed the frame to whichthe table may be hinged or secured may also have one or more strutsadapted to be placed or moved outwardly to form supports for the tablewhen it is not supported on the mattress, these struts being movedoutwardly as the device is moved away from the bed. In anotherconstruction the frame is such as to extend under the bed and at oneside thereof a support or supports are provided which carry the table orbracket in such manner that it is supported at one of its sides so thatthe major part of the table lies over the main part of the frame. Thusthe device can be moved close to the bed so that the side supports lieagainst the side of the bed in which position the frame is under the bedand the table or bracket above the mattress at about the same level. Asingle support may be provided and this construction enables the tableto be adjustable from a normal horizontal position to enable the patientto be supported in a reclining position. The table may have hinged oradjustable end portions whlch ma be so adjusted as to form a kind ofchair In which the patient may assume a sitting. position. Generally,the device is constructed in the nature of a trolley to permit of readymovement from place to place although in some cases the wheels may elocked as for example when the table is to be used as an operatingtable.

In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readilycarried into effect, the same will now be described more fully withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is aperspective View of one form of the device showing the table in thesupporting position.

Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the device folded when not required foruse.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view showing the device in positionagainst a bed.

igs. 4, 5 and 6 are perspective views illustrating a modifiedconstruction.

Figs. 7 and 8 are perspective views of a further modified construction.

A is a supporting table or bracket which may be made of any suitablematerial and may be covered with a blanket or the like. B represents twouprights of a frame having casters or small wheels B and provided withadjustable curved legs C having casters C the legs C being movableoutwardly as shown in Fig. 1 to support the device or inwardly to theposition shown in Fig. 2, when the device is not required for use. Thetable A is provided with vertical supports A at one of its edges adaptedto slide in the uprights B and to be retained in any desired osition byany form of clamping devices X thus enabling the table to be supportedat any desired height to suit various beds. In use the device is placedagainst one side of the bed with the supports A and uprights B closeagainst the bed as shown in Fig. 3, the table lying above and on themattress and the legs being turned outwardly under the bed as shown. Theatient can be rolled or turned over in the bed so as to lie on the tableA and the device is then moved away from the bed slightly to enablehinged struts D extending from the uprights B to be placed in slots ornotches in the under side of the table so as to support the table in thehorizontal position when the device can-be wheeled away from the bedleaving the bed free to be made easil. While the patient is supported onthe table operations such as massaging, irrigating, dressing. etc; maybe carried out much more conveniently than when the patient is lying inthe bed. The supports may extend above the table and may be connected bya hand rail A as shown. End portions (not shown in Figs. 1 and 2) may befitted to the table A and may be adjustable to any inclined position andif desired made extensible as described in connection with the othermodifications. The legs C may be turned inwardly to lie in the plane ofthe uprights and the table A may be hinged-to its supports A so that itmay be suspended in an approximately vertical position, the device thusassuming a practically fiat condition, see Fig. 2, which enables it tobe stored in a. small space when not required.

The modification shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 is generally similar to thatpreviously described, and comprises a table A rigidly secured in ahorizontal position to supports A at one side which supports areslidably fitted in uprights B at one side of a rectangular frame Bhaving casters B as shown, the frame being disposed under the table toimpart stability to the device and adapted to extend under the bed whenthe device is moved into position for placing the table just above themattress ready for the patient to be rolled or placed thereon withoutbeing lifted. The table may be covered with any suitable material and asshown end portions E may be hinged thereto and adapted to be clamped inthe plane of the table as shown in Fig. 4: or in any inclined positionas shown for example in Fig. 5, while the two end portions may be foldedon to the table A as shown in Fig. 6. The end portions may be suspendedfrom the table A in vertical position if desired. Suitable rails F maybe hinged at the side of the table and may be retained in a raisedposition as shown in Fig. 5 to prevent the patient rolling off thetable, or they may be retained in such positions as to permit of thepatient being rolled on to the table when it is desired to move him fromthe bed, see Fig. 4. In Fig. 5 the device is shown fitted with anirrigating or douching appliance G and the table A with a commode Hwhich is fitted in a plate which may be slidably fitted on to the tablepart and readily withdrawn if desired for which purpose a handle H isprovided on the plate as shown. In this example the table may beretained at any suitable height by c amping devices A As shown in thedrawings, the main section A of the table is beveled or graduallyreduced in thickness toward its free edge and it will be seen that thelower face of the table is, when in operative position, horizontalthroughoutits width and lies in close contact with the top of amattress. An important advantage of the invention is that a patientmaybe rolled onto and from the table Without being lifted. This enables thepatient to be'transferred to or from the table with a minimum amount ofmoving and without the necessity for being bodily lifted from themattress either to position the support beneath the patient or. toremove it from such position.

The modification shown in Figs. 6 and 7 illustrates the tubularstructure of the device without the covering plates or material for thetable and the end portions. In this example the table A is formed at oneside with a lug K supported on a horizontal pivot L carried by a supportA which is slidably fitted in an upright B on the side of a frame Bhaving casters B. The side of the table carrying the lug K is formedwith a segmental portion M slotted to receive a clamping bolt M whichextends through a slotted part M on the upright B. By means of thepivotal connection of the table to the support A, the table can be setto any desired position and it is retained therein by the clamping boltM which clamps or looks the segmental portion M against the part M Theslotted part M permits of the support A and the table A being raised tothe desired height and a clamping device A is shown for fixing thesupport A in any desired position. Any usual or suitable form of liftingor raising device such as used in a lifting jack may be used. Forexample the support A may be formed with a toothed rack with whichengages a pinion on the frame or upright rotatable by a crank or otherhandle. The construction of the device permits of the table being movedover the bed mattress when it is desired to place the patient thereon,or to move the patient from the table into the bed. The table portionneed not be made so long as shown in the drawings so that it may serveas a seat when the one end portion is inclined upwardly and the otherdownwardly to form a kind of chair in which a patient can be comfortablyand naturally seated. As shown in Fig. 7 clamping devices E of any usualkind may be provided for retaining the end portions in the desiredposition and the end portions may be extensible for example bytelescopic connections in the tubular framework. Owing to the devicebeing constructed as a trolley it lends itself to many varied uses inhospitals, nursing homes and the like,

for carrying the patients from one place to.

another and the patients can be readily transferred from the bed to thedevice or vice-versa without discomfort and without considerable efforton the part of the nurse. A slidable cover plate may be used in allmodifications fitted with any device as aforesaid and if desired meansfor heating the table may be provided, such as a hot Water tank on asliding' plate or an electrical heating appliance. It may also be usedas an operating table in which any suitable or known means may beprovided for locking the Wheels against movement. The device can also beused in doctors consulting rooms and surgeries for the examination ofpatients and for performing slight or minor operations and being made asa trolley it can be readily moved to obtain the best light for thepurpose in view and if desired locked in any position to which it ismoved.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesis 1. An apparatus for the purpose described comprising a frameincluding an upright section and a base section that extends laterallyfrom the upright section, and a flat table-like support including arelatively thin rigid plate member permanently connected with andextending horizontally from the frame, so that it may extend on to andlie-throughout its width close against the top of a mattress on a bed,whereby a patient may be rolled from the mattress on to said support, orvice versa, without being lifted or affecting the connectidn between theframe and said support.

2. An apparatus for the purpose described, comprising a frame includingan upright portion and a support, formed by a relatively thin inflexibleplate member, permanently connected to the upright portion and arrangedto'project horizontally therefrom over and in contact with the mattressof a bed, the connection between said support and frame being entirelyremote from the edge thereof that extends over the bed, whereby apatient may be rolled from the mattress onto said support, or viceversa, without being lifted or affecting the connection between theframe and said support.

3. An apparatus for the purpose described, comprising a frame includingan upright portion and a fiat table-like support arranged to projecthorizontally from the upright portion over and in contact throughout itswidth with the mattress of a bed, said support having its upper surfacebeveled slightly toward its free edge.

4. An apparatus for the purpose described, comprising a frame includingan upright portion and a flat table-like support arranged to projecthorizontally from the upright portion over and in contact throughout itswidth with the mattress of a bed, said' support including a main sectionand auxiliary sections adjustably, connected to the main sections,whereby the effective length of the support may be varied,

LUCY DEPERE MOTE.

